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Chapter Thirty-Three
Last Updated:
2022-06-07 15:54:09
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The Bartered Princess Chapter Thirty-Four
The palace had seen better days. Miriam was doing her best to rectify the matter, with the help of Jenna and Ruth who were now in charge of running the household. She was in her element here, doing something for which she had been raised. If not here, then in her husband’s domain, he surmised.Ketil realised he had never asked Magnus why Ruth hadn’t been released in the same way as Jenna. It was probably too late now. If anything, he assumed Daphne had insisted on hanging onto her, quite literally, which probably explained the tear in her kirtle. Newly mended now, of course.The Masked King was still languishing in the dungeons but he could wait. He reckoned it was time for a proper talk with his half-sister, who had started to avoid Sigurd for reasons known only to herself. He caught up with her in the solar, a place he would never have expected to find a woman like Astrid, though the booted feet planted on a chair opposite the bench on which she was sitting said it all.“Idling agai
Last Updated : 2022-06-08The Bartered Princess Chapter Thirty-Five
Miriam clasped her hands together and tried not to faint. Her plan to matchmake, to retrieve an impossible and intolerable situation, had backfired leaving her desolate and alone. Not quite alone. Sassa was still sitting there, quietly, her sympathy and guilt plain to see.She sat down, toying with the fruit on her plate. If only it were persimmon season. You could obtain almost anything these days but not if it wasn’t even ripening elsewhere. Looking down at her body, she chewed her lip. It was far too early but somehow she knew a change was coming. Once, it would have been a welcome one.“Oh Sassa – I mean, Astrid,” she sighed. “Why did I make it so easy for him to leave me?”“If I know my brother, he does not want to go. This is all my fault. And I’m hurting Sigurd as well. Perhaps I should choose the cloistered life, like your sister.”“You are not to blame. Send for Magnus. Tell him I – I desire to play chess.”The young woman rose with the same rangy grace as her blood relative.
Last Updated : 2022-06-08The Bartered Princess Chapter Thirty-Six
The Masked King was a shadow of his former self. Someone had beaten him very badly and the ginger hair was matted with blood. The mood Ketil was in he wanted to inflict yet more damage though he restrained himself. How could he put Miriam in an impossible position? If the whoremonger were to die … And yet, it was tempting to ask for answers before he left. For good? To see how well received he might be after so many years, four of them in total. Ketil brushed the unwelcome thoughts aside. Becoming Jarl would make what he really wanted to happen impossible. Or would it? He could always abduct her. Exasperated with himself, not even smiling at the thought of carrying her off, Viking fashion, he kicked the prisoner’s leg. The body rocked and that was all. So he kicked harder, thinking that handfasting was out of the question now, as was a marriage planned to take place on the traditional day to honour Frigg, the wife of Odin. While he reckoned he had already met the bride price there wo
Last Updated : 2022-06-09The Bartered Princess Chapter Thirty-Seven
Ketil was touched by the loyalty of the jester’s boy and his brother. The latter was still clothed in the familiar Feltspar livery and whispered that he had found him a horse. It turned out to be a grey mare but he wasn’t complaining. He sincerely hoped the glimpse he’d caught of her in the passageway wouldn’t be the last. She was a fetching vision, down to the thick red hose.His Mia was gone but he loved Queen Miriam no less.That was why he had to go. He hoped Daphne wouldn’t let him down.The jailer was still snoring given the potion in his ale. Orm was probably with Jenna, while Magnus may be anywhere including watching for anything suspicious from the battlements. Sigurd might not raise a hue and cry, though his uncle almost certainly would. Not that he could blame him; in his position he might well have done the same.Running was never a good option, even if you had no choice.He already knew where he was headed after visiting the nunnery. It had to be a port, just not the one
Last Updated : 2022-06-09The Bartered Princess Chapter Thirty-Eight
The monthly visit to Daphne was long overdue. Following up her gift of freshly laid duck eggs would be hard but Miriam had something in mind. Such a shame it wasn’t the season for persimmons. Her sister was partial to them, as was she.She was hoping to lay her hands on a long ago imported red wine from the Frankish territory. She hoped not to encounter any mice when she ventured into the cellar. No-one would notice its lack given that there were hundreds of bottles down there. In fact, King Gregory could have considered selling them to boost the treasury rather than bartering his youngest daughter.Encountering Astrid as she was leaving the Great Hall following a morning spent hearing disputes, she asked for her help to search. The Norsewoman dressed like a warrior these days in laced trousers and jerkin, her long white-blonde hair secured in a single plait. She even trained with the men in the practice yard and was the proud possessor of her half-brother’s sword, though she insisted
Last Updated : 2022-06-10The Bartered Princess Chapter Thirty-Nine
Ketil could not believe how easy it had been. Eggsor was his by right and in deed, with barely a clash of sword on shield. The witch was dead and had been for some time, after which his half-brother tempered the cruelty she had fostered. Ragnar was only too willing to surrender his jarlship, something he had neither sought nor wanted, which meant his supporters were not opposed to a change at the top, either.After venturing to the Ice Lands he was equally as reassured that Eirik would not challenge him, either, and they had parted as amicably as it was ever going to be between them. His younger brother was a father now to a baby girl, Edda, though his wife, Hild, had perished in the birthing of her.Ruling came naturally to him. The soft ways acquired in Vercia were soon banished. But he did not regret the time spent there, even if the laws which he had observed made little sense in practice. Whoever had determined the monarch owned all the game in the kingdom and a man could be fine
Last Updated : 2022-06-10The Bartered Princess Chapter Forty
“What do we tell them, Sig?” Astrid persisted.In some ways she was like an annoying wasp which refused to accept being swatted away – hadn’t he told her, twice, to see to the horses and then clean herself up?“The truth.”“I am warning you, they will not like it. These Vercians have a strange sense of honour.”Did she think he wasn’t aware of that, given what he’d done with Daphne for the sake of both his blood brother and her sister? Granted, that had been at the behest of the Masked King, but the latter wouldn’t have been in such a position of power if King Gregory hadn’t invited him to his court.Daphne. He had tried not to think of her, knowing she was poison, trouble and, undeniably, a siren. That session in the mirrored room – compelled, maybe, compelling definitely – was creeping into his mind more and more.“She is good for him, Asti. We have all witnessed that.”“And what about her?”Acting impulsively, he took the opportunity to palm her face and kiss her. It was her own fa
Last Updated : 2022-06-11The Bartered Princess Chapter Forty-One
Daphne’s face burned when she spotted Sigurd standing behind her former maid.“Ruthie, what a surprise,” she declared, reaching down to hug her.If others were uncertain around her, she knew how to handle them. This man had always been different. She tried not to think about what had happened in that mirrored room. Why did it stand out in her mind among all the other sordid liaisons? The answer was simple: it hadn’t felt sordid. Not with him.The why of it was a mystery to her and likely to remain so forever, she feared.Mindful of certain sensibilities, she elected to see them outside the building. Their walk took them past a flowering apple tree which would only bear fruit later in the season. That had seldom mattered in the palace given that foreign varieties came in through the ports all the time. She had observed as much for herself given that Papa liked to be seen to be indulging her so much.The red bearded giant came straight to the point.“We need your help.”“Oh?”“Ketil has
Last Updated : 2022-06-11
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The Bartered Princess Chapter Eighty-Two
So this was how her last night with Ketil was going to be spent, with them both miserable and not even a loving kiss to temper her heartache. There was no going back now. In true Norse fashion she really had burned her boats. Miriam turned over, hugging the pillow. Once she had taken such a thing for granted. Yet the time spent without one had been so much more – enlightening. “Please say you will come for a visit when the snows melt.” “No.” It was an unfamiliar growl. “Ketil, this is hard enough without you behaving like this.” “Did your vows mean so little, Miriam?” That stung. “You know how to wound.” She wiped away a stray tear, determined to show no weakness. Her resolve was already crumbling, but he wasn’t to know that. “Go to sleep,” he said. “You will need all your strength tomorrow.” Something in his voice set her wondering. Miriam supposed she was merely clutching at straws. “You do not command me,” she told him, her eyes wide open. Moving onto her back in a huff
The Bartered Princess Chapter Eighty-One
It was the hardest conversation yet but somehow she came through it, feeling virtuous and heartsick at the same time.“You know I am right, Ketil,” she said. “I was born to do this.”She could tell he didn’t like it.“Why now, Miriam?” he ground out. “Do you tire of me and wish for another? That noble husband I once promised to help you find.”“No, my love. There has only ever been you and I wish for no other. But King Hubert is losing public opinion. The people want a Feltspar. I owe it to Queen Eleanor.”“Well, that’s something at least,” he grumbled. “No debt of gratitude is owed to King Gregory, by any of us.”“I have to set right some of the wrongs he did. For her sake.”“You may think that, but I’m not so sure the King would welcome interference.”“He has already stated his approval.”“You sounded him out first? Miriam, sometimes I could strangle you.”“I – I didn’t want you to change my mind for me before I told him of my proposal,” she faltered, hating the fact that the old st
The Bartered Princess Chapter Eighty
The fight was already under way when the two of them emerged into the light. Something was off about her husband’s stance and yet he was more than holding his own against a man who had spent his life pampered and indulged. It almost seemed as if Ketil were toying with him. That couldn’t be right. This was important.“Aunt Astrid’s brilliant, isn’t she? Better than half the men.”Trust Tyr to decipher what she could not. And where then was he, the love of her life? Not with Ragnar, who was giving a slow handclap. The gloves were new and she guessed he was becoming self-conscious about his deformity these days.Miriam held up her hand and asked for them to cease their duel.“There is no need now Tyr is free.”Expecting her cousin to back her, she was surprised to hear him say, “This matter needs to be put before the court.”She supposed it was only right that justice be served.“Will this take long? If a jury is to be sought then it could take weeks and we need to set sail for home befo
The Bartered Princess Chapter Seventy-Nine
It was so much colder down in the dungeon. Miriam was concentrating so hard on not falling off the steps – the rope handrails had long since rotted away – that some of the fear for her first-born went unexamined. She longed for Ketil to scoop her up in his arms and carry her, even though she knew it would not be seemly. Even in the royal court long ago he had afforded her the dignity of walking.What had Mistress Ford said? Things were not as black as she had foreseen. Then why had Beyla experienced false pain? They had always been a close family. Her own legs were trembling and one look at her husband’s set face had shown her he was not himself.“What’s happening? I got here as soon as I could.”Sigurd. Just hearing his voice brought her a measure of relief. They had shared so much that was bad in the past. Surely she could come through this, as well?“It’s the King,” Njord told him. “It appears he has gone mad.”Thank God for that sensible, calm and competent young man. Whatever his
The Bartered Princess Chapter Seventy-Eight
When they reached the palace as quickly as it was possible to do, Beyla feared that Njord would tell her to go to her room and bar herself in, admitting no-one. Instead he sought out her father with her in tow only for them to receive the worst kind of news. It seemed her brother was missing.The last possible sighting appeared to have been of him heading towards the edge of the cliff.“Tyr wouldn’t jump,” she said. “Not even if a thousand Celias changed their mind about marrying him.”“It was her family who objected to the match,” the Jarl corrected. “I thought all such prejudice was over and done with. Apparently not.”“Can you be certain it was him? I mean, Tyr’s a skilful climber. He might just have wanted some breathing space.”“That’s just it, Njord. One moment he was there, a speck on the horizon, the next he had vanished. I – I fear the worst.”Impulsively, Beyla hugged her mother. “If anything had happened to him, we would know.” She put a hand to her chest. “In here.”The ha
The Bartered Princess Chapter Seventy-Seven
The day started out poorly and soon deteriorated with one exception. Miriam had begun to pack her things together but the idea was unappealing somehow. She felt restless and desired to be outdoors. Something was telling her there was a price still to be paid. Happiness was always costly in one way or another.Reassuring herself that Ketil was still on the mend brought its own unlooked for rewards and she lost herself in the bliss of their lovemaking for a while. Even so, she was on high alert like a mother hen for her chicks when the fox came to the henhouse. The notion that it was already here, once lodged in her head, would not go away.Was Beyla still under threat? Surely not Tyr? Could there be trouble back home in Eggsor? Magnus would have sent word if so and she didn’t mean the new King of Svedland.Considering Celia, who was seldom far from her thoughts if truth be known, Miriam realised how little she knew about her future daughter-in-law. Her first-born son loved her wholehea
The Bartered Princess Chapter Seventy-Six
Two whole days had passed and she was eager to be going home. Her mother had grilled her thoroughly about her ordeal and Beyla had been keen to emphasise that perhaps Kaan hadn’t done too much wrong. That had led Aunt Astrid to let out an oath and pretend to look out of the window slit.“I don’t have a silly crush on him,” she said. “He’s not my type.”That was when she realised there was someone behind her and she whirled, only to find herself wrapped in her father’s welcome embrace.“Our child has become a woman without us noticing, Miriam.”“You, maybe. I knew a while ago,” her lady mother retorted.As usual, she didn’t understand the wordless look which passed between them and heated those plumper than ever cheeks. Would she gain weight when she reached that ripe old age? Hopefully not. Njord would have nothing to do with her then. He might even fall out of love with her.She was seeing him later by the stables, though no-one knew. How they felt about each other was scarcely a sec
The Bartered Princess Chapter Seventy-Five
When Miriam sought an audience with the King, Ruth was already prostrated before him. She didn’t have to cudgel her brains too hard to work out the reason why. Her own mission was on similar lines, but she wasn’t about to cut in given the impressive nature of this heartfelt plea.She felt pleased, too, that Jenna had sought to inform her in advance of her fellow housekeeper’s plan, even if Ketil had grumbled about the intrusion into their personal time.King Hubert’s face was impassive, though she thought she saw a softening as he looked down at the housekeeper. Her hard work was a byword, she had never given a moment’s trouble and it wasn’t as if her husband’s fatal attack on the Prince was unprovoked.“Get up, Mistress Olafsson,” he said, after a time. “I am sure those flagstones are cold and uncomfortable.”“I care naught for that, Your Majesty,” she replied.“Then I fear I must make it a command,” he told her, beckoning to Miriam with a crook of his fingers.For some reason she th
The Bartered Princess Chapter Seventy-Four
It was Kaan who stood there, an imposing figure in his long robe. The fact that his curved scimitar was exposed was not lost on either Beyla or her tormentor.“What is the meaning of this intrusion?”The bluster cut no ice with the Emperor of the Desert.“This farce has gone far enough,” he said.Beyla’s head was whirling. Had he sold her, or not?“Please, help me,” she begged, just to be on the safe side.“Has he hurt you, little one?”“No, but he was going to make me do humiliating things,” she said, trying her best to cover her body.If only she had more than one pair of hands!“Come here, Beyla. The sale’s off,” he said to the bewildered would-be purchaser.“By whose authority?”When he gave his full name and title the man in question beat a hasty retreat.“I’m not going anywhere with you,” she dared, backing away.Just then, there was a commotion further down the passage. When the door burst open to reveal a stocky man with ice-blue eyes, Beyla believed she was dreaming.“What’s
